Apple Greener, Nokia regains lead in electronics ranking

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Feature story - 27 June, 2007

The fourth edition of the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics is out now. Apple moves up as a result of Steve Job's "Greener Apple" pledge to phase out PVC and other chemicals from their product line. But Nokia is on top because they've already phased out PVC, and met or exceeded a wide set of benchmarks we've laid down to reduce the amount and toxicity of electronic waste piling up in Asia and Africa.

Chinese e-waste scrap yard, as seen through a monitor you might have owned once.

The electronics ranking guide has been our answer to gettingthe
electronics industry to face up to the problem of e-waste. We
wantmanufacturers to take responsibility for the unprotected child
labourerswho scavenge the mountains of cast-off gadgets created by
ourgizmo-loving ways.

We'vebeen happily surprised at how quickly many corporations
have risen tothe competitive challenge. It's especially rewarding
to see morethan a few CEOs
openly vying for the top green spot, and challengingtheir
competitors to adopt industry-wide policies to reduce the problemof
e-waste.

In the current ranking, Dell and Chinese manufacturer Lenovo are
tied for second place.

Dellscores top marks for reporting its current recycling rate
based on sales 7years ago, and for a strong global take-back policy
for outdatedgear.

Lenovo's support for precautionary policies andlegislation
making producers responsible for their products at the endof their
lifetime mean high marks for them. In the April version ofthe
ranking Lenovo scored higher points for a global takeback
policy.However our investigation of the implementation of this
policy in practicereveals incomplete implementation.

Both Dell and Lenovo's programmes are not available outside
countrieswhere they sell direct, and both do not provide
information on theirtakeback policies everywhere that they
should.

Sony-Ericsson andSamsung pull up third and fourth with limited
recycling programmes in afew countries and good, but uneven,
performance on other criteria forremoving toxic chemicals.

This quarter's ranking shows that 12of the 14 companies assessed
have now scored 5 or more out of ten: anindustry-wide improvement
in harmful chemicals and waste policies.Which company will be the
first to get top marks in the guide? You canchallenge the top
computer makers to
produce a greener computer rightnow.

Apple rises, Sony falls

Sony is the biggestloser in the race this edition, languishing
at the bottom along withLGE, penalised for double standards on
their waste policies.

Applemay start to rival other, greener companies if their
much-awaitediPhone becomes the company's first truly greener
product.
There's no reason it can't.Apple uses at least one of the same
suppliers that currently provideNokia, Sony-Ericsson, and other
phone manufacturers with componentsfree of PVC and brominated flame
retardants.

"Clearly, companiesare racing to produce greener products" says
Iza Kruszewska, our ToxicsCampaigner. "Steve Job's latest
commitment to eliminate toxics materials, movedApple up the chart
and they now face a challenge, with the iPhone, tomeet customer
expectations to be the environmental leader Apple-loverswant."

More and more companies are providinginformation on products
that are free from the worst chemicals. Forexample, as of March
2007, Panasonic has many examples of 100 percentPVC-free products
on the market, including DVD players and recorders,home cinemas,
video players, and now provides a list of products thatare
PVC-free. Meanwhile, Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Motorola
areintroducing increasing numbers of models that are also free from
PVCand brominated flame retardants.

The Greenpeace Guideclearly demonstrates that companies are
starting to act on theirresponsibility for taking back and
recycling their own-branded waste,more and more extended voluntary
programmes and providing informationto customers on what to do with
discarded electronics.